Augustine Echema
{{Short description|Catholic bishop of Aba Diocese}}
Augustine Ndubueze Echema (born 28 December 1958 in Ohuhu Nsulu) has been a Catholic prelate and the bishop of Aba Diocese since 2019. He is a professor of Liturgy at the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt, Nigeria.{{Cite web |last=Nigeria |first=Guardian |date=2020-03-03 |title=Augustine Echema: The making of a bishop |url=https://guardian.ng/opinion/augustine-echema-the-making-of-a-bishop/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=EWTN |title=Pioneer Bishop of Nigerian Diocese Urged to Speak Out against "reckless spilling of blood" |url=https://www.aciafrica.org/index.php/news/9798/pioneer-bishop-of-nigerian-diocese-urged-to-speak-out-against-reckless-spilling-of-blood |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=ACI Africa |language=en}}
Education
He attended St. Peter Claver Minor Seminary, Okpala from 1972 to1977 for his secondary education where he became interested in priesthood. He studied philosophy from 1978 to 1982 and theology from 1982 to 1986 at Bigard Memorial Seminary in Ikot Ekpene.{{Cite web |title=Pope Francis Appoints New Bishop For Aba Diocese – Catholic Diocese of Warri |url=https://warridiocese.org/pope-francis-appoints-new-bishop-for-aba-diocese/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Hounsou |first=Jean-Baptiste |date=2019-12-28 |title=Aba Diocese of Nigeria gets new Bishop |url=https://radioangelus.com/aba-diocese-of-nigeria-gets-new-bishop/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Radio Angelus - 24 online Catholic radio station |language=en-US}}
Priestly career
Echema was ordained a Catholic priest on 16 August 1986 for the Owerri Diocese. In 1989, three years after his ordination proceeded to Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt where he studied for his doctorate degree in Theology majoring in liturgy. He finished in 1994. He spent his early career at St. Peter Claver Minor Seminary, Okpala as Formator 1986 to 1988 and was parish priest of St. Mark Parish in Umuneke Ngor for one year (1988 – 1989).{{Cite web |title=AFRICA/NIGERIA - Appointment of the Bishop of Aba - Agenzia Fides |url=https://fides.org/en/news/67181-AFRICA_NIGERIA_Appointment_of_the_Bishop_of_Aba |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=fides.org}} From 1994 to 1995, Echema was in Frankfurt, Germany for studies. He served as parish priest of Joseph in Schwalbach, in the German Diocese of Limburg from 1996 to 1998. Following his return to Nigeria, he became deputy chaplain of CIWA and was appointed a professor of liturgy at the institution.{{Cite web |last=Ambassador |first=National |date=2020-01-30 |title=Sir Oko Chukwu Visits Catholic Bishop-Elect , Congratulates Him |url=https://nationalambassadorngr.com/sir-oko-chukwu-visits-catholic-bishop-elect-congratulates-him/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Emeruwa |first=Chijindu |date=2021-02-14 |title=Gov Ikpeazu commends Catholic community for supporting his govt |url=https://dailypost.ng/2021/02/14/gov-ikpeazu-commends-catholic-community-for-supporting-his-govt/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Daily Post Nigeria |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2019-12-28 |title=Mh. Padre Augustine Ndubueze ateuliwa kuwa Askofu wa Jimbo Katoliki la Aba, Nigeria - {{!}} Vatican News |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/sw/vatican-city/news/2019-12/askofu-augustine-ndubueze-askofu-jimbo-katoliki-aba-nigeria.html |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=www.vaticannews.va |language=sw}}
On 28 December 2019, Pope Francis appointed Echema bishop of Aba Diocese which had been without a local Ordinary for some period.{{Cite web |last=Rapheal |date=2020-02-12 |title=Aba Catholic Dioceses receives Bishop after 5 years |url=https://thesun.ng/aba-catholic-dioceses-receives-bishop-after-5-years-2/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=The Sun Nigeria |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Hounsou |first=Jean-Baptiste |date=2019-12-28 |title=Aba Diocese of Nigeria gets new Bishop |url=https://radioangelus.com/aba-diocese-of-nigeria-gets-new-bishop/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Radio Angelus - 24 online Catholic radio station |language=en-US}}
References
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Category:21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Nigeria